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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29336088">Sweets</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/justheretobreakthings/pseuds/justheretobreakthings'>justheretobreakthings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aromantic Asexual Keith (Voltron), Baking, Fluff and Angst, Foster Kid Keith (Voltron), Friendship, Gen, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Post-Galra Reveal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:00:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,923</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29336088</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/justheretobreakthings/pseuds/justheretobreakthings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Trials of Marmora and the reveal of some big news about Keith's heritage, a bit of baking is the perfect way to relieve some stress.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hunk &amp; Keith (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>154</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sweets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Based on <a href="https://friendlylocalwhumper.tumblr.com/post/182327573411/to-occupy-a-recovering-whumpees-hands-and-mind-a">this</a> prompt by friendlylocalwhumper on tumblr.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p></p><div class="">
  <p> </p>
  <p></p>
  <div class="">
    <p>Keith was hungry.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>Well, Keith was a lot of things at the moment. He was exhausted. He was sore. He was worried. His head was spinning as it tried to process everything he had seen and been through and learned at the Blade of Marmora headquarters, and his stomach was roiling with nerves that started up again every time he let himself think of the way his teammates had looked at him as he'd stood silently beside Shiro and let his brother explain the news, and his dagger felt heavy where it was sheathed at his hip but he also couldn't bring himself to take it off and leave it in his room.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="">
    <p>But somewhere in the mix, he was also hungry. And since he could only deal with these things one at a time, he decided to start with that one.</p>
  </div>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The halls were quiet as he made his way to the kitchen. He didn't know where the other paladins were; conversations on the bridge had been fully taken over by Allura, Shiro, and Kolivan a couple of vargas ago, the rest of the team given the option to leave until they were needed again, and Keith had immediately taken the chance to dart into his room before any of his teammates could try to intercept him, and he'd been hiding out there ever since.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Now, though, he knew where at least one of his teammates was: Hunk was standing at the counter in the kitchen, his back to the entryway as he stirred a tureen at the stove, humming to himself.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith hesitated at the entryway, debating whether to turn around and head back to his room, but after a few moments of thought his hunger won out over his unsociability. He tried to slip quietly toward the refrigerator, but must not have quite been quiet enough, since Hunk turned at his entrance, surprise written clearly on his expression.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Surprise and something else. Fear, maybe. Discomfort, at least. It had been on everyone's faces when his heritage had been announced.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Uh, hi Keith," Hunk said, his voice a notch higher than usual.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith grunted back in greeting as he opened the fridge. He positioned the door so that it blocked his view of Hunk and scanned the shelves' contents.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"There's, um, there's not much to eat right now besides the energy bars in the pantry," Hunk said. "I'm working on some of the leftovers from when Coran made lunch a couple days ago, seeing if there's any way to salvage it. Make it, you know, edible for humans."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Oh," Keith said. "Okay, I'll, um, get one of those, then."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"If you want, you can hang around and help taste test? It'll probably be more filling than those bars, so…"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"No, I'm good." Keith cut him off. "I'm not that hungry, it's - "</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>In his haste to close the fridge and make his escape, the door swung to knock into his shoulder on its way closed. Keith couldn't help but let out a hiss, his hand flying up to grasp the wound as he stepped back, teeth clenched.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"… You okay?" Hunk asked after a moment's silence.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Yeah."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Are you - did you get hurt at that Marmora thing?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"No." Obviously that was a lie, as there were bruises and scrapes on his face and limbs that were perfectly apparent for all to see, but it was still more convenient to pretend like those were the worst of the wounds.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"You sure?" Hunk asked. "You, uh, the way you grabbed that shoulder - "</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I already took care of it, it's fine."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"We're really supposed to have Coran take a look at any injuries we get on missions."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Don't tell Coran!" Keith snapped, sharp and abrupt enough that Hunk jumped slightly in surprise. "Just - I don't want to bother anyone. They're busy. And I - I don't think, after what just - what I just - " He huffed out a breath. "I should probably just keep my space."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Hunk blinked at him, and Keith kept his eyes down and his focus on his shoulder so he wouldn't see the other's expression. No one had had time yet to really process the news - not him, not the Alteans, not his human teammates - and he still really wasn't ready to see what reaction anyone else had ended up settling on. Not until he'd settled on one himself.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"So, um," Hunk started. "Do you want to talk about - ?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"No," Keith said, voice as flat as his expression.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"It might help if we get it out into - "</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Hunk," Keith interrupted. "I came in here to get food, and that's all. I don’t want to talk about the Blade, I don't want to think about the Galra, I don't need any fuss over injuries or any of that crap. I'm just… hungry."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Oh," Hunk said softly.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Another few ticks of silence reigned before Hunk moved, turning around to slide the tureen off of the stove. "You know, I think Coran's cooking may be beyond saving," he said. "I should really get some other cooking done, get us something to eat besides those energy bars. I was actually thinking, it might be good to make something to sort of, like, welcome the Blade of Marmora to the crew? Like they're our new neighbors."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Hm?" said Keith.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Like how when a new neighbor moves onto your street, it's customary to bring them, like, a plate of homemade brownies or cookies? You ever done that?" Keith shook his head, bewildered. "Oh. Well, it's good way to make a good impression."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"All right," Keith said. "I'll, um…" He slowly sidestepped toward the entryway. "I'll leave you to it."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Wait!" Hunk said, stopping him in his path. "Do you wanna help?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith frowned. "Help with what?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"The baking, of course! Lot of people in the Blade, and they're pretty big so they can probably eat a lot - I could really use a hand feeding them all."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"How would we even bake them anything? Pretty sure last time you tried to bake we ended up with scaultrite cookies"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"That's a mistake you only make once," Hunk said gravely. "Pidge has been helping me out with getting all the ingredients on the Castle identified and labeled, and with synthesizing some stuff that's more Earth-exclusive. So most common Earth pastries, I can make, or at least I can get a real close approximation."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Ah," Keith said. "Well, um, I'm not really much of a baker…"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"So now's the perfect time to learn!"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Hunk, I really don't - "</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Come on, please?" Hunk widened his eyes imploringly. "I could really use the help, man."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith sighed. He had never been able to resist puppy-dog eyes. Not from actual stray animals, not from younger foster siblings, and apparently, not from Hunk. "All right, fine," he relented as he cautiously approached the counter.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Great!" Hunk said, beaming at him. "Get your hands washed and we'll get started! What do you wanna bake?" he asked as Keith leaned over the sink to begin scrubbing up.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I dunno. Whatever."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"It's your pick, there's plenty we can do. Wanna make some cookies? Pie? Bruttiboni? Malasada? Poi mago?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith raised a brow at him. "I, uh… only recognized cookies and pie."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Fair enough. Okay, we'll start off simple for you. Sugar cookies, and a couple of the Altean fruits in the cooler would probably make good pies. You ready?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Yeah." Keith wiped his hands dry and turned to see Hunk already getting into the cabinets to pull out supplies.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He let Hunk take charge right off the bat, following his directions of what ingredients to grab from the pantry, how much to measure out, what to stir and for how long. It was easy enough to just follow directions; Hunk seemed even more comfortable leading in the kitchen as Shiro did in battle. And he was kept busy, bouncing between helping prepare the cookies and the pie.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The tenderness in his haphazardly-tended shoulder was the only thing that prevented him from getting immersed enough in the food to forget about the events of the day, and Hunk seemed to notice it too, as he caught him grimacing as he was stirring the fruits for one of the pie fillings.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Your shoulder still sore?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Nah, it's fine," Keith said, knowing full well that Hunk wouldn't believe him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>And he was proved correct a moment later when Hunk gently pulled the bowl from his hands. "You know what, I've get the filling ready for this one. How about you focus on latticing the crust instead?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I can stir just fine."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Not saying you can't, just, this needs to get done too, yeah? Come on, you ever latticed a pie crust before?" Keith shook his head. "Here, I'll show you. It can take a bit of practice to get the hang of, but it's great for the end product. Here, I've got the dough rolled, you can start slicing them into strips like this…"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith was reluctant to give up the stirring - his left arm had been doing most of the work anyway - but Hunk had established himself as being in charge right now, so he gave it up and watched silently as Hunk demonstrated how to full the strips of dough for him to weave into place.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"You can finish up this one while I get the filling done for the next pie," Hunk said, sliding the partly-completed pie in Keith's direction. "Unless you want me to supervise this?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I got it," Keith replied, nudging Hunk aside to finish the job.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He took the strips of dough in hand and started latticing, Hunk watching out the corner of his eye as the latter worked on the filling. Once Keith finished up, Hunk let out a low whistle. "You sure you've never done this before?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Yeah? Why?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Here, let me see you do it on this one." Hunk ushered him over to the next pie, and he helped cut the dough into strips before stepping back and watching Keith go to work. "Have you, like, made baskets or potholders or something before?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith shook his head. "Um, I've braided a couple lanyards before? So this, uh, it's not super different."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Well, color me impressed," Hunk said. "When I taught Lance to do this it took him, like, twenty pies to finally get it right."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"You bake with Lance too?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Yep. It's a good stress-reliever, so, I'd recruit him for a lot of baking during exam season and stuff. Good way to get your mind off things, eat your troubles away. Probably some aromatherapy aspects to it too, or at least Lance says so."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Oh."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"And he also figured out that giving people homemade cupcakes is a good flirting tactic, so…"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith snorted. "I don't think that's gonna be much good to me. Leave the flirting to the allos."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"See, that's a good thing, actually. It makes the food better; people can taste it when there's an ulterior motive."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Aren't we making these to get in good with the Blade? Doesn't that count as an ulterior motive?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Friendship is an exception," Hunk said. "Here, finish latticing this last pie, help me get these into the oven, then we'll finish up the cookies."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith obliged, and soon the oven door was shutting on the baking pies. He licked off a bit of filling that had landed on his thumb - Hunk immediately made him re-wash his hands - and moved on to assist with rolling the cookie dough. The dough made with the Altean ingredients was grayer than any sugar cookies he'd ever seen on Earth, but a taste test confirmed that they still tasted just as good, if not better.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"You ever spend much time in the kitchen at all before?" Hunk asked casually as they rolled the cookies. "I know you said you don't bake, but do you cook at all?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Eh, not really," Keith said. "I mean, I can do the basics. Grilled cheese, spaghetti. Anything that just requires boiling or microwaving something. Not all my foster parents were big on cooking regular meals, so sometimes you have to fend for…" He trailed off as he realized that Hunk had stopped rolling dough in order to stare at him; he'd said too much. Been lulled into a sense of security. "Just, um - nothing. I can cook a bit."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Oh." Hunk hesitated before continuing. "You know, it's nothing to be embarrassed about or anything. Cooking for necessity instead of for fun."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I'm not embarrassed," Keith said. "Just don't wanna, um, I'd rather not - "</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Right. No worries." Hunk cleared his throat. "So, uh, what about when you were out in that desert? Did you do your own cooking then?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith shrugged. "Mostly just canned stuff. A bit of small game, too."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"That's it?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Pretty much."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Get much in terms of dessert?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith shook his head. "Like I said, not much of a baker."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"That's… man." Hunk shuddered. "Okay, we're definitely gonna have to do this more often. Make up for the desserts you missed out on while you were living off beans and lizards."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"And soup," Keith said.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Hunk grinned and punched him gently on his good shoulder before returning to rolling the dough. "That too. Food from a can could never could a candle to home cooking."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The cookies were soon ready for the oven, and only of doboshes later, they took out the finished pies. "Seriously, though," Hunk told him as they set the freshly-cooked pies onto the counter. "We're definitely going to have to do this more often. You're a pretty good sous chef, especially for a newbie."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Sous chef?" Keith repeated.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"That's the second-in-command in a kitchen," Hunk explained. "Basically the chef's right-hand man."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Oh. Um… thank you."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Hunk nodded. "Makes sense, really. You're good at that as a paladin, so, stands to reason it'd be the same for you as a cook."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith furrowed his brow. "Are you, like, kissing up to me or something? I'm not your commanding officer, you know."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Ha!" Hunk smiled. "You made a joke! We'll need to work on your delivery, but it's a start! Nah, man, no kissing up, just, always nice to let people know they're doing a good job, right? You need some positivity today."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"…Right." Keith chewed at his lip. He had honestly managed to forget, for a little while, about everything that had gone on before, everything he'd learned.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Hunk hurried to intervene before it could come rushing back. "You wanna be the first to cut the pie?" he asked.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Hm?" said Keith. "Shouldn't we wait until we go share these with the Blade?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"There's plenty here for us to have some pie of our own, too," Hunk said. He picked a knife up from the counter and passed it over to Keith, handle out. "Come on, I can't resist that smell much longer."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith breathed out a laugh and obliged, taking the knife and cutting a couple of slices out of the nearest pie. He scooped one out onto a plate for Hunk, one for himself, then took up a spork and cautiously took a bite. His eyes lit up in pleasant surprise. The Altean fruit in the filling was very sweet, the flavor reminding Keith a bit of apples, but with a cranberry-like tang to it as well.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Good, right?" Hunk asked.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Mm-hm." Keith nodded and dug in for his next bite.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>When it came time to get the cookies out of oven, he didn't hesitate to go in for the taste-test. Hunk suggested letting them cool first, and Keith squirmed beside the counter for a dobosh before electing to just blow on the cookie before biting it. It was still definitely too hot, but it was rich and chewy and before Keith knew could stop himself he was going in for seconds. It was almost hard to believe he had taken part in creating something so tasty.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"If you wanna take a whole bunch of them to your room, we can wrap up a plate," Hunk said. "Get them hidden away before Pidge comes into the kitchen. She's got a thing about cookies, eats like fifty at a time."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Good thinking," Keith said, pulling up a plate to start stacking cookies on it. "Should we set some aside to make sure the Blade get plenty too?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Oh, right. Yeah, sure, we can do that."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith paused and frowned over at him. "Hunk?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Yeah?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"… We didn't actually make these for the Blade members, did we?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Hunk smiled sheepishly. "We did. Just… for one member in particular." He nodded toward the dagger at Keith's hip.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Oh. Well, um… that's, uh - "</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"You're welcome. I told you, it's therapeutic."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Yeah, guess it was."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Wanna know how you can thank me?" Hunk asked.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Uh…"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Get Coran to help you with that shoulder."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Keith sighed, but gave Hunk a small smile. "I'll… think about it. Don't know how eager Coran'll be to help me out."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"So offer him some cookies. No one could possibly care about whether someone's Galra if they've got cookies."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I find that a little hard to believe."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Well, it worked just now, didn't it?" Hunk asked before blowing onto a cookie and biting into it himself. "On me. And on you."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I…" Keith hesitated. "I guess… you have a point."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Hunk offered him a smile. "Anytime you're in need of another sugar boost, just let me know, okay? Next time, we’ll break out the icing and sprinkles too, we’ll go wild with the decorating."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Yeah,” Keith said. “That sounds – that sounds nice.”</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Want a mini fic from me to you? I'm writing one-shots for anyone who writes a fic or makes art that features aro/ace Keith, and tags me in it @justheretobreakthings on tumblr!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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